“The last five Thanksgivings, I’ve worked in the emergency department,” E.R. physician Dr. Travis Stork says. “This is so, very true, because everyone’s having fun, everyone’s eating a little too much, and they forget that also, throughout the day, [they’ve] been drinking too much. If you ever do decide to drink, do not drive.”

Dr. Travis says, to avoid drunk driving, his family will enjoy their adult beverages before the big meal, but once the food is served, the alcohol is put away. “If you keep drinking before the meal, [during the meal] and after the meal, you’re going to make some bad decisions,” he says.

If you do imbibe a little too much, make sure to have a designated driver, call a taxi or car service, or ask to spend the night at the host’s house, until you are sober and can drive the next morning.